HAWKINS FIGHTS FOR FUNDS TO KEEP YOUTH DETOX OPEN

Sindi Hawkins Is Trying To Throw A Lifeline To Drug-Addicted
Teenagers In The Southern Interior

The Kelowna MLA is hitting up the federal government and three
provincial ministries for funding to reopen the Iridian Centre, a
youth detox facility in Kelowna that has treated 155 young people
since it opened in 2003

The federal funding that supported it ($386,000 a year) ran out Tuesday

"I'm working as hard as I can. If I can keep it going, I will,"
Hawkins said Tuesday. "I'm turning over every rock I can find to keep
it." Until this week, the five-bed transition suite on Cadder Avenue
provided detox services to teens who want to stop using crack,
crystal meth and other street drugs

Three quarters of the individuals treated there since it opened were
homeless girls under age 19

The closure came to light when Kristi Heemeryck, a 17-year-old former
crack addict, wrote a letter to the editor warning that without the
centre, dozens of vulnerable teens will resort to prostitution this
summer to support their drug habits

Hawkins only heard about the centre after local media reported
Kristi's warning 11 days ago.

"Now that we know the asset is there, we don't want to lose it,"
Hawkins said. "I want to make sure kids get what they need to succeed."

The lack of notice has made government ministers scramble for
funding. Hawkins has approached the ministers of Health, Children and
Family Development, and Employment and Income Assistance.

She's also lobbying B.C. MP David Emerson, federal industry minister,
for interim funding. Emerson's staff told Hawkins Tuesday that
they've forwarded her request to federal Human Resources Minister
Belinda Stronach.

"They said it's a priority and they'll get back to me," Hawkins said.
"I don't think I can count on them for sustainable funding. I said
'Please don't let it close in the meantime.' That's all I can ask."

The Okanagan Family Society, which operates the Iridian Centre,
intends to reopen it at the same location, said executive director
Dennis Dandeneau.

"We're trying to recall as many former staff as possible," he said.
"We anticipate it should be fairly soon -- weeks I think. We're
really pleased with the support the community has shown for youth who
require these services."

Eighty per cent of the centre's clients have successfully withdrawn
from the substance they were on and moved on to more stable
accommodation, Dandeneau says. The centre accepts kids from across
the Southern Interior for up to seven days. It is staffed by a
residential counsellor, a psychiatric nurse and team leader. Hawkins
has asked the society to trim the centre's budget and asked for
financial help from the city of Kelowna.

"I'm asking for a $380,000 item that wasn't there before the
(provincial) election," Hawkins said. "We need to examine whether we
can take on a project like this, if it's only a year's funding. It
has to be sustainable."